Standard Common Name

Identification

The Spotfin Porcupinefish is grey above and white below. It has dark spots on the body and fins. There are short immovable spines on the head and body.

The species has a dark bar below the eye and another at the rear of the head. There may be a faint bar in the pectoral region and another before the dorsal fin.

Size range

The Spotfin Porcupinefish grows to 75 cm in length.

Similar Species

The Spotfin Porcupinefish looks similar to the Three-bar Porcupinefish. The latter species lacks spots on the fins and has more spines on the head and body. It occurs in more southern waters on Australia's east coast.

Distribution

It has a patchy distribution in tropical and subtropical marine waters worldwide.

In Australia it is known from north-western Western Australia and northern Queensland to northern New South Wales. It has also been recorded from Lord Howe Island. The fish in the upper images were well south of their recorded distribution.

The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Click on the map for detailed information. Source: Atlas of Living Australia.